Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has established formal diplomatic relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ambassador Camillo Gonsalves, Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations, signed instruments with Ambassador Ivan Barbalic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 19th March 2009.

The establishment of relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina represents the beginning of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' renewed diplomatic outreach to the States of Eastern Europe. While Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does not have historical ties with the Eastern European region, the country is seeking to build mutually beneficial partnerships to address Vincentian interests in the context of an ever-evolving global environment.

This is part and parcel of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' wider diplomatic activism. In addition to the relationship with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has signed similar instruments in recent months with the Union of Comoros, the Republic of Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Monaco, the Republic of Senegal, and the United Arab Emirates.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a relatively small, largely landlocked state. The country's economy has rebounded well from the war of the late 1990s, and is a major exporter of metals, minerals and manufactured goods. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also increasingly dependent on tourism, and has one of the world's highest rates of growth in the tourism industry. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines sees not only opportunities to cooperate with Monaco to share developmental and technical expertise, but also to forge partnerships and positions based on the two States' mutual interests in tourism and other service sectors.

Ambassador Camillo Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Ambassador Ivan Barbalic of Bosnia and Herzegovina discuss matters of mutual interest at the ceremony establishing formal relations between the two countries. Ambassador Barbalic, who is three years younger than Ambassador Gonsaleves, is now the youngest UN Permanent Representative. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a population of 4 million people and is located in southeastern Europe. The State was formerly a part of Yugoslavia. Bosnia gained its independence in 1992, and has recovered well from the three-year war that coincided with its declaration of independence. The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina speak three official languages; Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. The GDP (PPP) of Bosnia and Herzegovina is approximately $30 billion. The country's economy is based primarily on manufacturing, agriculture, extractive industries, and, increasingly, tourism.